Just as Vedanta Sutra explains Vedanta are there other books that explain the other five systems of philosophy? How authentic are they?

by Chaitanya Charan dasDecember 2, 2013

Transcription by: RekhaMataji

Edited by : SudhaMataji

Question from KarunaSindhuPrabhu:

If Vedanta is one of the philosophies derived from Vedas and there is Vedanta Sutra which describes that, are there other books also which describe the other philosophies and what is the nature of those books?

Answer:Yes. Every school of thought has its own literature. For example The MimamsaSchool of thought focuses a lot on rituals and the Mimamsa sutra begins with the questionathato dharma jijnasa and not“athato brahma-jijnasa” as Vedanta sutra begins.

Let us try to understand what is dharma? Now here the word Dharma as analysed by the Mimamsas is quite different. The focus is mainly on rituals.Dharma is explained in various ways but it focuses primarily on rituals. BaladevVidyabhushan’s commentary on “athato brahma jijnasa” explains this.Srila Prabhupadaalso puts it very simple terms “Now that you have got a human form of life enquire about Brahman”“athato” means therefore. BaladevVidyabhushan explains that “now that you have gone through all the other Vedic rituals and have recognized their futility and have understood that dharma, artha, kama don’t lead to anything substantial or long termthen you want to know the eternal reality” – therefore do enquiry of Brahman. In that sense whatever the subjects of enquiry with which the other five systems of philosophy begin after a person has got exhausted with them and one understands that this doesn’t lead to any substantial then athato brahma jijnasa – therefore enquire about the Supreme reality – Brahman. Of course, one doesn’t have to go through all those to come to this. If one is fortunate one can directly come to this level of brahma jijnasa. So every school of thought, every philosophy has its own literature and the Vedanta sutra has it’s; the Vedanta has Vedanta sutra as the primary literature and that is considered by the acharyas to be the most conclusive and authoritarian explanation of the Vedas and the clearest understanding of the philosophy of the Vedas.